Epcot Food and Wine for Little Ones?

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Brad's picture
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Epcot Food and Wine for Little Ones?

Would you recommend F&W to someone who was traveling with kids? It sounds fine to me, but I'd guess that the kids wouldn't really enjoy gnoshing around Epcot. I'm sure it wouldn't be a terrible time to go, but do you think it would be worth going "out of your way for" with kids?

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That would depend on the age of the kids. I think most young kids would be bored with it after just a little while.

Brad's picture
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scrappy wrote:
That would depend on the age of the kids. I think most young kids would be bored with it after just a little while.

That was kind of my thinking. I mean even at 12 or 13 I would think I'd be outraged that we weren't just riding rides.

Kristen K.'s picture
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My kids (ages 11, 16 & 17 when they went) loved the F&W festival. My older teens went off on their own for awhile to do Kim Possible, but the youngest did the walk about with Lou Mongello and was excited when she mad his video. They even helped entertain the other kids at Foodie Fest. They enjoyed meeting so many new people at the Meet & Greets. They also ran the associated 5K with me. My kids all loved eating from the booths and getting their passports stamped. For our family it was a big hit. However, my family is food centric to begin with, and my kids very service oriented.

That being said I think that with most kids, you would have to do a little give and take. Maybe if they filled their passports tasting food they would get a F&W Duffy. Or let them pick a couple of the booths that they want to try. My daughter Katie made this list of kid friendly food ahead of time the year that she went. We got an idea of what would be available from DFB and then looked up some of the recipes that we didn't know online to see if they were kids friendly.

Argentina: Roasted Corn and Cheese Empanada Australia: Lamington (sponge cake dipped in chocolate) Belgium: Freshly Baked Waffles with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream Canada: Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, Nanaimo Bar Charcuterie & Cheese: Cheese Fondue with Croutons and Roasted Potatoes (kids love to dip things) China: Pork Pot Stickers, Xinjiang Barbecue Chicken Stick (might be a little spicy) Desserts & Champagne: Strawberry Angel Verrine, Pear Streusel Pudding Cake, Dark Chocolate Sensation Germany: Spatzle Gratin with Ham and Cheese, Nurnberger Sausage in a Pretzel Roll, Apfel Strudel featuring Werther's Original Karamell Sauce Greece: Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki, Baklava Ireland: Kerrygold(r) Cheese Selection, Warm Chocolate Lava Cake Italy: Polpettine Toscane with a Rosemary Breadstick, Baked Cheese Ravioli w/ Creamy Bolognese Sauce, Cannolo Al Cioccolatol Mexico: Tamal de Pollo, Churro Morocco: Baklava Poland: Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream (not all kids might like this but I think this dish really sounds good to me) Spain: Almond Cake

I think that F&W would be a bit of a stretch for active smaller children, but for mine it was a good fit!

crazycatperson's picture
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I think it would be doable - I mean, it's not like World Showcase is chock-full of rides anyway. So you stop for a nibble, visit Mexico, stop for a nibble, visit Norway, etc. Stop for hot dogs or pizza along the way if the kids aren't adventurous eaters. If they're middle-school age, send them off to find the nearest Kim Possible station while you enjoy some food. At 12 or 13 they ought to be able to handle that on their own as long as they don't wander beyond the immediate vicinity. And at that age, they're old enough to understand that it isn't all about them and that they have to let Mom and Dad have a little fun too.

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I think it would all depend on the age and their likes. If they are the type to like the rides better, I think it would get old real quick. Just think "MELTDOWN"!

Bella's picture
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I think it depends on the kid and the age. If I were taking my DS who is 2 I would probably schedule the visit around a time he needed a break (i.e. a nap in his stroller) when he wouldn't mind riding around people watching for a little while. If I were to take an older kid it might be a bit harder simply because there was no rides happening!

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I went to food and wine when I was younger and it was never a problem. I didn't get into the event as much as my mom did, but I loved walking around Epcot.

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Lizzy_B's picture
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What so many others have said - depends on the kid. DD7 loves trying the dishes with us, and always has, so it's never been a problem. The Kidcot stops are also big draws. She loves getting her stamps along the way.

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